James McMurdock

James McMurdock (born c. June 1986) is a British Reform UK politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Basildon and East Thurrock since 2024.

Early life, family and education
McMurdock grew up in Basildon, Essex in a council house in Vange and Pitsea and went to a state school. He graduated from the University of Sussex with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. During his time at the university, he was elected treasurer of the varsity rugby club and also co-founded the finance society there.

He worked in the banking sector between the early 2000s until 2024 for Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers – specialising in energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing.

Assault conviction
In c. 2005, McMurdock, who was aged 19, was convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend. McMurdock was working as a barman at the time of the assault, which happened outside a nightclub in Chelmsford. He pled guilty to one count of assault at Chelmsford Crown Court and spent ten days in a young offenders institution.

In a statement in 2024, McMurdock said that it was the "biggest regret" of his life and that he was "deeply sorry". He also said in the statement that they were both "very drunk", and that he handed himself into the police "immediately". McMurdock also asserted that he "faced the consequences then" and paid for his actions "in full".

Reform UK campaign (2024)
McMurdock joined Reform UK in May 2024, having become disillusioned with the main political parties, later stating to The Daily Telegraph that he "didn't like the choices in front" of him as a voter. After paying to join the party, he received an email stating that the party was short of candidates for the 2024 general election, and so McMurdock chose to be a "paper candidate" in the election. During the campaign, he acted as his own agent, and spent £400 on 20,000 fliers. He also did not legally state on the leaflet who sponsored him, leading to his wife and him spending numerous evenings stamping each leaflet to add that Reform UK was sponsoring his candidacy.

McMurdock was elected the Member of Parliament for South Basildon and East Thurrock in the 2024 general election with a majority of 98 votes (0.25%), beating Jack Ferguson of the Labour Party after the third recount. His parents and two sisters acted as his count agent. His election as an MP was reported as a surprise, as he had gained the seat from Conservative Party incumbent Stephen Metcalfe, who had served as MP for the constituency for the last 14 years. He became the second Reform UK MP in Essex, after leader Nigel Farage, and the fifth Reform UK MP elected in the 2024 general election. His majority was the seventh smallest in the entire general election.

Reform UK later received criticism that McMurdock's assault conviction was not made public prior to the election. A Reform party spokesperson later confirmed that it was aware of his previous conviction before McMurdock became a prospective parliamentary candidate, but went on to say that reporting on the incident was a breach of McMurdock's privacy. The spokesperson said that the party believed "strongly that people can change their lives" and said that McMurdock was "entirely honest" about the conviction when he applied for the candidacy, and also said that McMurdock's life showed that "one can change, for the better."

Parliament (2024–present)
McMurdock was sworn in by oath to Parliament on 10 July 2024.

Personal life
McMurdock is married with four children.

Political positions
McMurdock identifies as a conservative. He has described himself a "small state" and" low tax" person, and stated that he wants "government out of people's lives", and also for "decisions and spending to be accountable to taxpayers."

Whilst speaking about how during his election campaign he listened to parents of children with special needs who had been struggling to get support, McMurdock stated that children of "all different abilities" should be able to get an "education that works much better for them."